Metal nanoparticle-decorated nanotubes for gas sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10830721-B2
Application number	US-201715582172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of compositions for gas sensing and sensors utilizing the same. In one embodiment, a composition comprises carbon nanotubes and and polymer-coated metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor for detecting gas, the sensor comprising:
an electrode assembly comprising electrodes; and
a gas-adsorbing material disposed between the electrodes of the electrode assembly, wherein the gas-adsorbing material comprises:
carbon nanotubes; and
polymer-coated-metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes are substantially free of carboxylic acid functional groups and hydroxyl functional groups.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the electrode assembly is operatively coupled to a processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to measure changes in resistivity of the gas-adsorbing material that result from gas molecules adsorbed to the gas-adsorbing material.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the sensor has detection limit of less than or equal to 100 parts per million (ppm) during operation in an ambient environment having a relative humidity from 0% to at least 80%.

4. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the sensor is adapted to selectively detect methane.

5. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles are non-covalently bound to the carbon nanotubes.

6. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein an average degree of functionalization of the carbon nanotubes with carboxylic acid groups and/or hydroxyl groups is less than 3 percent by weight based on a total weight of the carbon nanotubes.

7. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise single-walled carbon nanotubes or multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

8. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the polymer-coated metal nanoparticles each comprise a metallic core, and wherein the polymer layer is covalently bound to the metallic core.

9. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the metallic core comprises a metal selected from a group consisting of palladium, iridium, rhodium, platinum and gold.

10. The sensor of claim 4 , wherein the sensor is further adapted to be refreshed by flushing with a methane-free gas.

11. A sensor for detecting gas, comprising:
an electrode assembly comprising electrodes; and
a gas adsorbing material disposed between the electrodes of the electrode assembly, wherein the gas-adsorbing material comprises:
single wall carbon nanotubes; and
polymer-coated metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes, wherein an average degree of functionalization of the carbon nanotubes with carboxylic acid groups and/or hydroxyl groups is less than 3 percent by weight based on a total weight of the carbon nanotubes.

12. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is adapted to selectively detect methane.

13. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein a diameter of a metal core of the polymer-coated nanoparticles is in a range from less than or equal to 1 nanometer to at least 10 nanometers.

14. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the sensor has a lower limit of detection less than or equal to 100 parts per million (ppm).

15. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is adapted to selectively detect methane, and wherein the sensor is further adapted to be refreshed by flushing with a methane-free gas.

16. A network of one or more sensors for detecting gas, at least one of the sensors comprising:
an electrode assembly comprising electrodes; and
a gas-adsorbing material disposed between the electrodes of the electrode assembly, wherein the gas-adsorbing material comprises:
carbon nanotubes; and
polymer-coated metal nanoparticles bound to the carbon nanotubes, wherein the carbon nanotubes are substantially free of carboxylic acid functional groups and hydroxyl functional groups.

17. The network of claim 16 , wherein the one or more sensors is adapted to selectively detect methane.

18. The network of claim 17 , wherein the one or more sensors is further adapted to be refreshed by flushing with a methane-free gas.

19. The network of claim 16 , wherein the one or more sensors has a lower limit of detection less than or equal to 100 parts per million (ppm).

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Iftime Gabriel
• Smith Clinton
• Schwartz David Eric
• Zhang Yong
• Vedharathinam Vedasri

Classifications

• B22F1/102

  Metallic powder coated with organic material · CPC title

• B01J20/205 Primary

  Carbon nanostructures, e.g. nanotubes, nanohorns, nanocones, nanoballs (carbon nanotubes per se C01B32/15) · CPC title

• G01N27/04 Primary

  by investigating resistance · CPC title

• B82Y15/00

  Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title